Forgotten pictures
by P. Lidia
Summary: Arnold's girlfriend compliments about the old pictures with his ex she found in his room. Just a one-shot which came to my mind. I hope you'll enjoy.


The Café wasn't filled with many people this morning. Some of them were just reading a book or talking to each other waiting for their espresso. The beginner barista, who just got this job in the Café like a week ago in the heart of Hillwood, tried hard to form a perfect heart shape on the top of the cappuccino out of cream.

It had to be perfect. It was for the beautiful blond girl, with the light blue angel eyes who came every morning, and sat exactly the same place every day next to the window.

She always looked like working on a really important project. There were notes with colourful papers on them, all over the coffee table, and there where she set, among those papers. The barista asked many people about this girl, and spied after her. This is something he wasn't proud of, but at least he successfully found out she is at the Hillwood University at a literature course and also her name.

'Enjoy your coffee, Helga' he told her, and smiled when took the pink cup on her table.

'Thank you' she smiled back, and looked up for a moment, then immediately dig back into her notes.

She was actually worked on a story. She was waiting for some inspiration.

'Come on girl, it's been weeks you haven't written anything good…' she thought, and angrily sipped into the cappuccino, not even noticing the perfect heart on the top of it.

All of a sudden, two noisy girls just walked into the doors and sat behind Helga. She didn't saw their face, but one of them talked so loud and hysterical about the struggles she went through, she could give her one.

'So what did you want to tell me?' asked the other.

'I'll tell you, after we order'

Helga was kind of upset about being interrupted at first, but she turned to an empty page in her notebook, and decided to get some inspiration from the two drama queen's conversation. So the struggling one will be Hysteria One, and the other is Hysteria Two. They ordered two expressos, and started to talk as loud as they could.

'You know I'm normally not like this. I'm not hysterics!' she said. Helga turned her eyes to the ceilings… Yea, right!

'But we broke up!' said Hysteria One with her voice shaking.

'No! I don't believe you! Why?'

'Well, actually it's really silly. It's a little bit feels like an excuse for him… Now I know he didn't want to be with me…' Hysteria One sounded like almost crying, but continued her speech.

'You know, he was together with two girls before me. One at the age of sixteen, and I thought that girl was so important for him. They were together for a year, and we didn't talk about her much.'

'What is her name?' asked Hysteria Two.

'Lila. But look, it's not the important part! He was so over her when we got together.'

The pen stopped in Helga's hand. This can't be real… It can't! Maybe this is just an accident. It has to be another boy, who had a girlfriend, named Lila at the age of sixteen. It's really common. Take it easy…

'What was the problem then?' Hysteria Two asked.

'Well, today we were packing for the holiday, but it seem like we really won't go…'

'Speak to the point, Jess!' Hysteria Two seemed impatient, and Helga was a little bit shocked.

Okay, so the story is about exactly the person she's trying to forget for years. It's about Arnold… Why does she always have to hear about him? She's twenty years old now, she had some men in her life, they took her some places, she was dating them, like she dated Arnold too, but all of them is over!

Helga knew he has a girlfriend named Jess. She took down her pen. It's not hard to find out things in the 21th century.

Why this person is always have to come up? So frustrating… She prepared to leave the place, and started to pack her notes. She didn't want to hear about him. He took a major part of her life, and now she's finally over him, this happens.

Maybe she wouldn't call it 'over'. She just didn't let herself thinking about him. All that left for her is those memories and dreams, which she fought against.

Helga didn't care about what's going on with Arnold. She had enough of hearing he had Lila after her, and now this Jess girl.

Even though she had like three boys dating with her, Arnold was the best. Helga got to learn how to live with this fact. Because she knew this is a fact… And after throwing all the hope that she will find someone a little bit similar to him, she started to be okay. It was surprising, but she was okay after all…

'Okay' continued Jess 'So, it's about his previous girlfriend, from his childhood actually'

Helga stopped packing.

What? It's been six years. Six years, since they decided not to be together anymore. Six years, since Helga's heart broke.

'I wanted to help Arnold to pack for the holiday, and guess what I found in his wardrobe…' Jess was snatched for air 'Pictures… Of him…And her ex-girlfriend…'

'Omg, Jess. Those are just memories. I think you carried too far!'

'Yes, I thought that at first, but then I asked about them. I shouldn't have. Maybe we would be still together, then…'

She blew out her nose before continuing.

'I asked why he hasn't thrown out those pictures, and he said that because they are very important'

'You knew about his ex-girlfriend. Everyone has exes, why are you like this, Jess?'

'I thought he didn't talk about her, because he's over…' Jess broke into her voice 'But it really seems, he's not'

Helga didn't move she was rather shocked.

'I wanted him to throw them out, and he got really upset. Look, I haven't seen him like this since we're together. He said he will never throw them out, these are the part of his life, and that is all what left from "her", and who I am to ask for something like this.' Jess now started to cry, and Hysteria Two stroked her.

'Oh, I can't believe Arnold talked to you like this. It's like not even the person I know… But maybe that girl was really important for him once. It's okay, what if she died?'

Helga burst into laughter. Suddenly she pretended to laugh on her phone, before the two girls noticed her eavesdropping. Based on the heard things, it's really not like Arnold.

'She didn't die… Her name is Helga, she lives here, in Hillwood, and they go to the same University, and she always called him Football-head. Oh, and nonetheless she's "BEAUTIFUL"…'

'Why did he tell you all this?' Hysteria two wondered. And Jess laughed.

'Well, I asked him… I mean, I asked exactly, if he's over her. And you know what he said?'

'What?'

'Nothing… He was just looking down, for seconds, like a little boy, who knows he did something wrong. It was ridiculous!'

Hysteria two was laughing too. 'It really sounds ridiculous!'

'Yes, and then he started to talk about her… A lot… I couldn't listen. I started to cry, and he was still talking about her, and their stupid relationship. He looked like he's still really not over'

'Oh, Jess… Maybe it should have happened…'

'It was like six years ago, and he's still into her. I guess… There are no pictures of Lila in his room. And the worst thing is that I asked if he would keep our pictures… And… And…' Jess sniffed 'He said ' I'm sorry, Jess…'

'Don't cry, It's better to be happening now, then later…'

'The worst part is… That…'

Helga was still sitting there in shock, and her heartbeat was so fast. She felt the strong blush on her face. All of a sudden she felt thirteen again. She took her hand on her chest, where from the little locket was missing, for years, and her whole body filled with warmth. Her stomach started tingling again.

'Come on, Jess, you can tell me. It will be better'

'He then told me, he wants to break up. Because he's been searching for something he lost six years ago. He liked me, it was good being with me, and tried to feel like what he felt for Helga, but nothing is like that, and no one is like that girl.'

'Oh, how I hate her!'

Helga couldn't stop smiling. These are really good news! Even if Jess was suffering, and except hope she has nothing, she felt happier than she ever felt in the past years.

'Well, maybe he was so weird because he's been struggling for so long. Why did they even break up, if he feels like this?'

'I don't know… he didn't tell me that… But seems like, he really loved her.' Jess said, and drank her coffee.

Helga slowly stood up, smiling. Paid for her cappuccino, smiling. The barista boy thought it was for him, but she was somewhere else.

She was in Arnold's room, kissing with him, six years ago.


End file.
